Wildlife Damage Management Specialist

Also called: USDA Wildlife Specialist

Solves conflicts between wildlife and people, like birds hitting planes or coyotes killing livestock.

A day in the life

Works at an airport scaring geese away from runways with pyrotechnics and trained dogs, traps beavers flooding a road, and helps ranchers protect sheep from predators.

Pay over a career

Starting

$42k

Typical

$58k

High

$80k

Estimate.

Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.

Training

Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in wildlife biology.

Ways in: 4-year college, On-the-job training. Training cost: $15k – $60k.

Majors to look at: Wildlife Biology, Ecology, Zoology, Conservation Biology.

Outlook

Growing about average. Steady.

Will it last? Our AI estimate

Low risk for 10 years. Drones, deterrents and sensors help, but trapping, fencing and solving coyote or airport bird problems on site stay human.

Start now, in high school

Classes: Biology, Agriscience (FFA), AP Environmental Science, Physical education.

• Take your state's hunter or trapper education course
• Join FFA or 4-H
• Volunteer at a wildlife refuge

Official data: O*NET occupation 19-1023.

More Wildlife & Conservation Biology careers

• Wildlife Veterinarian
• Research Wildlife Biologist
• Endangered Species Program Manager
• Conservation Organization Director
• Wildlife Biologist
• Fish & Game Warden
• Wildlife Forensic Scientist
• Ornithologist
• Wildlife Refuge Manager
• Wildlife GIS Analyst
• Wildlife Technician
• Interpretive Park Ranger
• Wildlife Removal Specialist
• Hunting & Fishing Guide
• Wildlife Photographer
• Wildlife Special Agent
• Wildlife Disease Biologist
• Bat Biologist
• Wildlife Capture Specialist
• Camera Trap Technician
• Bear Management Technician
• Game Bird Farmer
• Chronic Wasting Disease Sampling Technician

Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.